


Studying Late

by coolbreezemage



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Roommates, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28039281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbreezemage/pseuds/coolbreezemage
Summary: From a concept about neighboring students sharing rooms.Ashe, determined to prove himself, is up far too late studying for an exam. Dedue convinces him it's all right to rest.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert & Dedue Molinaro
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	Studying Late

It’s well past midnight when Dedue pushes a cup of tea into Ashe’s hands. Ashe smells dusty valerian, sweet lavender, a tickle of mint. 

Ashe smiles up at him. “Thanks.” The scent alone makes him want to curl up in bed and close his eyes, let the tension that hours of studying has worn into his head and wrist melt away into dreams. 

And he knows that’s exactly what Dedue had in mind. 

“You should sleep,” Dedue tells him. There’s no scolding in it, only care. 

“I need to keep studying,” Ashe protests, trying not to whine. “I can dim the lamp if it’s bothering you.” He reaches for the shade. He hasn’t shared a room with anybody since Lonato took them in, and he’s still getting used to it. He’s glad he has Dedue as a roommate. He’s quiet, and patient, which are good things. But it also means sometimes it’s hard to know if he’s bothering Dedue when Dedue won’t say. 

“It isn’t,” Dedue says. “But it is bad for your health to stay awake all night.”

Ashe shakes his head. “I have to. The exam is tomorrow, and I promised His Highness I would meet him for lance drills in the morning…” He yawns, unable to suppress it. 

“His Highness will understand if you need rest,” Dedue says. “He has always insisted on taking exercise early in the morning, but he will not demand others follow the same schedule. Especially if it is something he pursues on his own and not something assigned by the Professor.” 

“I can do it.” Ashe yawns again, looks back at his book, and realizes he’s utterly failed to absorb anything he’s read on the past few pages. He flips back to the beginning of the chapter and takes a long sip of tea before trying again. “Really, Dedue, I’ll be fine.”

“His Highness is much the same, at times,” Dedue says. “I wish he would allow himself to rest.”

“I know.” Ashe thinks of their last battle against a bandit camp, how Dimitri had fought until he was bruised and bloody, but insisted on waiting until all the others had been seen to and the site secured before letting their healers examine his wounds. The Professor had scolded him for that while Dedue stood by, stone-faced and stern as always but close enough to his lord’s side to make his worry all too clear. 

Ashe doesn’t want to be a source of that sort of worry. He knows what it’s like to fear for those you live to protect. But he looks over the pages he’s still not certain he understands and quails at the thought of a middling grade at something he’s worked so hard at. 

Dedue tries again. “The Professor would not want you to exhaust yourself for one assignment.”

But he has to, if he wants to keep up with the rest of the class and their lifetimes of personal tutors. He’s never been great at schoolwork. No matter how much effort he pours into studying, there’s always something he can’t grasp, or something he can’t remember when he needs it. 

And he cannot disappoint the memory of the man who worked so hard to grant him a place here among the noble-born students. 

Ashe shakes his head, but he’s at least convinced to push the book aside for a few moments while he sips the tea. 

“What is it you are having difficulty with?” Dedue asks when he’s half-done with the cup.

Ashe sighs. “It’s this section on battalion formations. I just can’t visualize it. And I can’t spend the whole exam sketching it out because there won’t be enough time.”

Dedue considers the page. “I find I am better at receiving orders than giving them.”

Ashe can’t help but contest that. “Unless we’re cooking, or gardening, and you’re pretty good at instructing people in mending things too…” 

“It is not the same as battle,” Dedue says. “It does not place others’ lives in danger.”

“That’s true,” Ashe concedes, then yawns again. Dedue is right. If he doesn’t sleep, he’ll be of no use to anyone. Not to Dimitri, and not to the Professor. But closing the book and putting aside his scribbled notes now feels way too close to giving up. He can’t settle for failure when working harder might bring success. 

Dedue takes away the empty teacup and sets it aside to be washed later. 

Ashe turns to the next page. He’s read it already, has a sheet of notes on it somewhere in the stack of papers. The words blur before his eyes. The tea has done its work. He’s ready to fall asleep at his desk. He groans and rubs at them. When he looks up, Dedue is watching him.

And something in Dedue’s steady, quiet face tells Ashe that he will not rest until Ashe does. There’s no use in arguing with him. Even Dimitri can’t change Dedue’s mind when he’s made himself his protector. Ashe has seen it. 

“All right,” he says, and finally flips the book closed. 

Dedue smiles, subtle, but there. “You will do well tomorrow,” he promises.

“I hope so. I just can’t stop worrying about it.”

Somehow Dedue sees right through to the heart of his fears. “You have already proven yourself more than worthy of being here,” he says. “His Highness is impressed with your progress, as am I.”

Ashe is blushing now, and he hopes the candlelight is enough to hide it. 

Dedue continues, “The Professor would not have assigned you this work if they didn’t trust you would succeed at it. And they would tell you there is more to being a knight than lances and commands.”

He’s right. This exam will not define Ashe’s talents. The Professor will find a place for him where he can do the most good for his friends.

“Thanks. I’m trying to remember that. It’s just... hard sometimes.”

Dedue nods. “I understand.” He must feel the same at times. Maybe this is something they can work on together. 

But that will be another day.

“I won’t keep you up any longer.” Ashe reaches for the lamp. “And… you belong here too. It might be harder for us, but we can do it!”

It’s too dark to see Dedue’s response, but Ashe hopes it’s good. 

When he climbs into bed, he’s not worrying about the exam or the training. He can handle that. And if this doesn’t work out, there are other things to try. He belongs here, and his friends won’t let him forget it. 


End file.
